The Last Proposal and Other Stories
by Paris in December
Summary: A collection of unrelated and in many cases unedited drabbles I've written for the HPFC forum. This collection is for the Never Tell series and will include slash, femslash, and het.
1. The Last Proposal

**Author's Note: **This is where I will post any short, mostly unedited drabbles (350 words or less) I may write for the HPFC forum that take place in the Never Tell series.

The first one was written for Jenna McCoy for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. This scene will also be explored in "Tell The Whole Story" (eventually). Pairings: Severus/Sirius.

* * *

**The Last Proposal**

It was late by the time Sirius had pulled himself together enough to Apparate to Spinner's End, so that when he arrived, he had to take a minute to orient himself and remember which house belonged to Severus. Then he had to take another minute to work up the courage to actually walk up to the door and knock. It was, after all, a rather awkward situation, considering what had happened the last time he saw the other man.

When he did knock, the door opened almost immediately – and then abruptly started to close in his face. Panicking, Sirius grabbed for something to stop it, fortunately catching onto the edge of the door rather than Severus's wrist.

"Wait," he said breathlessly. "Please, listen. I wanted to apologize."

"You've nothing to apologize for," said Severus shortly. "I was out of line." He tugged at the door, but Sirius held on, determined to ride this out.

"No, you weren't! I didn't understand, I didn't know – what happened to you, where you'd been – I thought something was wrong with you." He had to stop to take a deep breath before going on. "Severus, please, I _do_ want you to marry me. I didn't mean it when I said no earlier."

Severus stared at him for a moment, but finally shook his head. "No, you don't."

The door started to close, in spite of Sirius's best efforts. Desperate, Sirius cast about for something to say, anything that would fix this mess he'd gotten himself into.

"I love you!" he gasped at last.

Severus froze and turned back to look at him. Something in Sirius's gut clenched at the expression on his lover's (ex-lover's?) face. Somehow, incredibly, he thought he'd said exactly the right thing.

Experimenting, he said it again. "I love you." Then, "I love you. I love you. I love you!" He shouted it out that last time, gleefully. How could he have never said those words before?

The next thing he knew, Severus was pulling him inside and kissing him senseless.


	2. Gryffindors

**Author's Note:** This was written for xakemii for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. It takes place sometime in Blaise's fifth year at Hogwarts. Pairings: Parvati/Blaise.

* * *

**Gryffindors**

Sometimes, Blaise really hated Gryffindors.

It wasn't that he wasn't fond of _Harry_ – Harry was all right, and half Slytherin besides. And Neville certainly didn't embody the stereotypical traits of stupidity and recklessness, even when he screwed up in Potions class.

On the other hand, _Hermione_ could really get on his nerves. She always had to know _everything_, and practically stood on her seat in class when she wanted to answer a question. She'd wave her hand through the air insistently until the teacher called on her out of sheer pity! And then there was Lavender Brown, who'd spent nearly all of the last Potions class giggling and drooling all over Weasley. So perhaps it was mainly Gryffindor _girls_ that Blaise despised.

"Zabini?"

Blaise turned to face the third Gryffindor girl – Parvati Patil. He gave her his best sneer. "What do you want, Patil?"

She wrinkled her nose, apparently unimpressed, and held out a quill. "You dropped this."

Slightly stunned by the sheer – _politeness_ of her demeanor, Blaise accepted the quill and slid it into his bag. "Er, thanks. Didn't realize you cared, though."

Parvati raised her eyebrows. "Returning a quill has nothing to do with caring."

"No?"

"Let me put it into Gryffindor terms your Slytherin brain can understand. It would be _dishonorable_ to leave a quill sitting about, or worse, steal it, when I know perfectly well to whom it belongs," said Parvati, without a trace of the giggling Blaise usually associated with her and Lavender.

Blaise was now openly staring. He'd never realized it before, but the Patil twins were purebloods, weren't they? And she had such _impeccable_ grammar. Even Draco didn't talk like that, and his mother was a _Black_.

"Oh," was all he could say in response. It sounded… well, lame, so he added, "I never thought about it that way."

Parvati sniffed. "Of course you didn't." With that, she walked away, leaving Blaise to admire her fine figure from behind.

Maybe Gryffindors weren't so bad after all.


	3. Just Friends

**Author's Note:** This was written for Jenna McCoy for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. It takes place sometime in Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Pairings: Harry/Pansy.

* * *

**Just Friends**

"Clueless."

Harry stopped and turned to stare at Pansy, who had spoken. "What?"

"You're clueless," she said, emphasizing the word by poking her finger into his chest. "Absolutely clueless."

"That hurt!" Harry protested. When no one else stood up for him, he glanced around, only to find that the others had already gone on towards Hogsmeade.

"I don't _care_!" Pansy stepped closer to him. Her breath smelled oddly like strawberries. Had there been strawberries at breakfast? Harry wondered. "We need to talk, Harry."

"Talk? About what?"

Pansy gave him a thin sort of smile that Harry was almost positive she'd learned from his mother. "About you and me. _Us_. Why aren't we together?"

"Why aren't we – we're just friends!" Harry spluttered, indignant. "Aren't we?"

"No!" Pansy snapped. Then, more calmly, she added, "Or at least, I don't want to be. I thought you'd _get_ it by now; I've been after you all year, but since you still haven't asked me out, I've decided an intervention is required."

Harry looked around again at their noticeable lack of companions. "It's not much of an intervention when you're the only one intervening, don't you think?"

"You're missing the _point_!" Pansy shrieked. "Do you want to go out with me or not?"

"Do I – what?" Harry gaped at her, caught completely off balance.

"_Honestly!_ You and Draco both – it's like you don't even _listen_!" Pansy rolled her eyes and seized Harry's arm to start marching him towards Hogsmeade. "All right, it's not a question anymore, it's a fact. You _are_ going out with me, and today at Hogsmeade, we'll have our first date. Don't worry – I won't take you to that stupid tea shop; we can just go to the Three Broomsticks and have a nice butterbeer, but _you_ are paying for it, because that is what boyfriends _do_. We will have a lovely time and you will wonder why you never asked me out before."

"Um," said Harry. "Okay." It was better not to argue with Pansy when she was like this.


	4. At the Potters'

**Author's Note:** Shoutout to blueberry and potters for the reviews (although I'm not sure the latter entirely qualifies, since it didn't say anything about the stories).

This was written for Azure Delta and Aenaris for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. It takes place in the summer before the Marauders' sixth year at Hogwarts and will eventually be expanded upon in "Tell The Whole Story." Pairings: Severus/Sirius, implied Regulus/James.

* * *

**At the Potters'**

James's house was located in a small but wealthy community of wizards and Muggles, but unlike Sirius's house, it wasn't designed to be hidden from the Muggles. Sirius was pretty sure James's neighbors thought he and his parents were just "normal" people like them – maybe a little eccentric. His parents were eccentric even by wizard standards, actually.

"Somehow I keep forgetting James is a pureblood," Regulus remarked as they approached the door. "He just doesn't act the way our family does, you know?"

"I know." Sirius raised his hand and knocked three times in quick succession.

Inside, he could hear the sound of pounding footsteps and raised voices, but he couldn't make out any of the words. Then the door opened to reveal James. He stared at the two brothers, mouth slightly open, apparently lost for words.

"Hi, James," said Sirius faintly. "I don't suppose you have space for a couple of guests?"

James's eyes flicked from Sirius to Regulus and back. "Er, I suppose so, if you don't mind sharing rooms. We've only one guest room… Reg, you can share with me, I guess…"

"Why not Sirius?" Regulus asked, sounding cautious.

"Oh, well, Severus is here too." James ran a hand across the back of his neck. "Something happened with his parents… he's in the guest room…"

Sirius didn't hear the rest of what James said. He practically flew up the stairs, his brain completely focused on only one thing.

He might have used accidental magic to open the door; looking back on it later, he'd never be completely sure. All he could focus on at that moment was Severus, sitting hunched over and unmoving in the room's desk chair. Unmoving, that is, until Sirius barged in and he looked up, eyes widening at the sight of the disheveled Gryffindor in his doorway.

"Severus," Sirius gasped out. "Are you okay? James said something happened with your parents."

Severus rose with a stunned look on his face, and Sirius came over to hug him tightly.

"I'm fine," said Severus, sounding strained. "Sort of." He smiled. "I feel better now."


	5. Dating

**Author's Note:** This was written for tat1312 for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. It takes place in Draco's sixth year at Hogwarts. Pairings: Draco/Daphne, implied Blaise/Parvati and Harry/Pansy.

* * *

**Dating**

Draco had decided, with his usual stubbornness, that if the rest of his friends were dating, by Merlin he was going to date too. And if Pansy could coerce Harry into dating her – which Harry insisted was what had happened, in spite of Pansy's denial – then Draco could certainly coerce some girl into dating him. Not Padma Patil, though, because _apparently_ – that is, according to Blaise – she was _lesbian_. And not Parvati, because Blaise had gotten there first. That left Draco with the third prettiest girl in the class, which was Tracey Davis.

Scratch that, Davis was a complete nutter. He'd settle for fourth prettiest: Daphne Greengrass.

"Oi, Daphne!"

She turned around and gave him the most condescending look he'd ever seen on a face other than his mother's. "Yes, Draco?"

"Will you go out with me?" Draco asked, rushing to get the words out even before he came to a complete stop in front of the girl.

Daphne's expression was now a mix of scorn and distaste. "Why would I go out with _you_? I wasn't aware you had any redeeming qualities."

Draco nearly stamped his foot in frustration, but remembered in time that he was not six years old anymore, and that Harry didn't need _another_ reason to tease him. "Maybe if you went out with me you'd see them."

"Maybe I don't want to go out with you."

"You haven't actually said no," Draco pointed out, though he knew he was grasping at straws. "Come on, Daphne, I really need a girlfriend…"

"Fine then – no, I won't go out with you," said Daphne primly. "And if you really want a girlfriend, try acting as though you want _her_ and not just any girl."

"I _don't_ want just any girl!" Draco threw his hands up in frustration. "Look, I'm really bad at this, all right? It's just that my brother and my best friends are all dating people, and they called me a _late bloomer_, and you're really pretty and I just want to know what it's _like_!"

Daphne considered him. "All right… one date. Happy?"


	6. Defiance

**Author's Note:** This was written for Azure Delta for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary party. It takes place shortly after Lily graduates from Hogwarts. Pairings: Narcissa/Lily, implied Andromeda/Ted.

* * *

**Defiance**

Narcissa walked down the street with her mother's voice still screeching in her ears.

"_Blood traitor! You were my _daughter_! How could you do this to me? How could you marry a _Mudblood_? You were supposed to marry the Malfoy heir! And don't even get me started about grandchildren!_"

"No, mother," Narcissa murmured, the words hardly leaving her lips, since it wouldn't do to be seen talking to thin air. "There's no need." Druella had gone on to rant about marrying a woman instead of a man and not producing little Blacks (or Malfoys, as the case may be) for a good ten minutes after that.

The thing was, Narcissa had never _liked_ Lucius Malfoy. In fact, she found him a little bit creepy. So when she discovered the beauty of Lily Evans, she found herself being pulled in. Lily was everything Lucius was not – kind, gentle, caring. She was also feisty, stubborn, and incredibly frustrating at times, but she always returned to the laughing, loving girl Narcissa had fallen for.

Then, when her cousins Sirius and Regulus had suggested she stay with her sister after she graduated Hogwarts – Andromeda, who'd already married a Muggleborn – Narcissa was quick to agree. There she could wait for Lily to finish her seventh year, and then they would get married – right away, as Andy had, because that way, Druella would only be able to complain after the fact, instead of stopping the wedding.

And that was exactly what happened.

When Lily opened the door to Narcissa's brisk knock, the first thing she said was, "How many times did she call me a Mudblood?"

"I lost count after twenty," Narcissa admitted, hanging up her cloak. "She was more concerned with my blood traitor status, though. I suppose she figures you never had any status to begin with."

Lily laughed and took Narcissa into her arms. "I don't understand how anyone could care about _status_ when they could spend the rest of their lives living with the person of their dreams."

Narcissa smiled. "I'm glad I figured that out."


	7. Dating II

**Author's Note:** This was written for Jenna McCoy for a drabble exchange in the 3rd anniversary after party. It takes place in Draco's sixth year at Hogwarts. Pairings: Draco/Seamus, implied Draco/a lot of girls.

* * *

**Dating II**

Draco was sitting alone by the edge of the lake when someone found him, but to his surprise, it wasn't Harry, Pansy, or Blaise. It was Seamus Finnigan.

"So," said the Irish boy, perching on a nearby rock. "Draco Black, the school player."

Draco scowled. "Don't call me that."

"Isn't it an accurate title, though? In the last month and a half you've dated what, six girls? Seven?"

"It's more like two months," said Draco, "and I don't care to reveal to _you_ how many girls I've dated." He knew his voice sounded petulant, but at the moment he didn't really care.

Finnigan clicked his tongue against his teeth in what might have been a sympathetic manner, if Draco had thought the Gryffindor capable of such a thing. "Bad break-up?"

"You could say that," Draco muttered.

"Maybe you should try blokes," Finnigan suggested. "Less flighty, you know? Less emotional."

"Some would say that's a bad thing."

"You grew up with two mums. You're biased," said Finnigan.

"Point taken." Draco shifted his position until he was actually facing the other boy instead of looking out at the lake. "Did you have someone particular in mind?"

"I'm single, for the moment."

Draco opened and closed his mouth, shocked. "Er, what?"

Finnigan spread his hands wide and grinned. "I'm available. You could try me."

"But –" Draco struggled with his thoughts for a moment before realizing that he didn't have any real objections. Another moment's consideration led to the conclusion that Finnigan – Seamus? – had caught him off guard, because he was used to doing the asking. "Well. All right then."


	8. Saw It Coming

**Author's Note:** This was written for my own game, the Odd Pairing Game, in the 3rd anniversary after party. I used Draco/Ron as proposed by Aaliyanna's-SeventhHeaven. It also includes implied future Blaise/Hermione.

* * *

**Saw It Coming**

They were standing at the edge of the Room of Requirement, near the door. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring at the center of the room as though his eyes had been glued in place. She leaned against the wall in a manner that was supposed to be casual, but looked rather tense.

"Well," said Blaise. "I think I can safely say I didn't see this coming."

"I should have seen it earlier," Hermione muttered. "I can't believe Draco had to stop talking to me before I realized."

"It's not as though it was obvious. I mean, he _was_ dating – who was he dating when you started dating Ron?"

"Theodore Nott."

"Right."

As Hermione shifted position, Blaise unconsciously moved to accommodate her. Neither of them appeared to notice. That wasn't as strange as it sounded; Draco Black and Ronald Weasley were currently in the middle of the room, entwined in a very long snog.

"So you essentially told your boyfriend to break up with you," said Blaise.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He wasn't that good of a boyfriend in the first place."

"I suppose it would be hard to date a girl when what you really want is a bloke. Subconsciously, of course."

"Of course."

Hermione's gaze slid away from Draco and Ron, traveling around the room until it rested on Harry, Pansy, and Neville, who stood together against the opposite wall. Neville was staring up at the ceiling with a great deal of interest, while Harry and Pansy carefully looked anywhere but at the kissing boys. As Hermione watched, Pansy glanced over at her and Blaise and then looked away quickly.

"D'you want to go to the kitchens and get a drink or something?" said Blaise. "I think Mimsy's got a stash of butterbeer somewhere."

"Isn't that Draco's?"

"He's occupied."

Hermione pursed her lips. "All right. Better than standing here, anyway."

They turned around simultaneously and walked out the door, Blaise standing back for a moment to let Hermione through first. Across the room, Harry and Pansy exchanged knowing glances.

"Saw that coming," Pansy murmured.


	9. Balancing Act

**Author's Note:** Shoutout to Slytherin Beats for the review!

This was written originally for some drabble exchange or other in the 3rd anniversary party, but I forgot to upload it at the time. It's now being dedicated to the former Ginny Jackson (now Pigfarts is on mars. Duh)'s "This is not a Convince Me Comp!" for the pairing Harry/Pansy.

* * *

Pansy realized very quickly after she started dating Harry that this relationship was a type of balancing act. The problem was, Draco was one of her best friends, but he was also Harry's brother. If that didn't make things awkward enough, Draco was not dating anybody at the moment, which meant he was especially jealous of Harry for finding happiness _with one of his best friends_. Well, Pansy thought he'd found happiness, anyway. So a lot of the time, Pansy had to refrain from kissing Harry in public in order to save Draco's tender feelings.

Actually, she was doing it to save Harry's tender feelings. She couldn't care less what Draco thought of the relationship, but Harry would be upset if they upset his brother, so Pansy would maintain the balance.

"Pansy?"

She looked up. Harry was watching her with an expression that said, _We need to talk._ She wanted to scream, _No! We only just got together, finally! You can't tell me that Draco is more important _now_!_

"Don't look at me like that," said Harry, looking alarmed now. "You look like you're going to yell at me."

"Maybe I am going to yell at you. Are you breaking up with me?"

"What? No!" Harry paused and frowned. "I mean, unless that's what you want…"

Pansy flushed and shook her head. There she was, reading too much into the situation. Why was it, again, that she'd wanted to date Harry so badly? "No, you just looked so serious."

Harry sat down next to her and slid an arm around her waist. The movement was tentative, but he seemed to have an instinct for how to treat her properly. Ah yes – that was why she'd wanted to date him. "I thought we should talk about, er, your birthday. It's coming up soon and I have _no idea_ what to get you, and I don't want to offend you or anything, so…"

_I have the best boyfriend who ever lived!_ Pansy wanted to scream to the world. To Harry, she said, "You don't need to get anything. I already have _you_."


End file.
